NSW health warns of cryptosporidiosis risk

With cases expected to rise over summer, NSW Health is
warning people to be vigilant about the spread of cryptosporidiosis in swimming
pools.

It
is important that people affected by diarrhoea avoid swimming for two weeks
after their symptoms are resolved to avoid contaminating pools and spreading
the infection.

Dr
Jeremy McAnulty, Director of Health Protection at NSW Health, said people of
all ages, particularly parents and carers of young children, should take steps
to prevent the spread of the parasitic intestinal infection.

“We
usually see cases increase over summer and there have been plenty of outbreaks
caused by contaminated swimming pools.

“If
an infected person gets into a pool and another swimmer swallows even a small
amount of pool water, they can get infected and will start experiencing
diarrhoea a few days later.

With
the weather heating up, notifications of cryptosporidiosis remain low, with 38 cases
reported in October and 41 cases so far this month.

Case
reports tend to peak between November and March, with the highest monthly
notifications in the past five years in March 2017 with 325 cases.

Dr
McAnulty explained that this is an underestimation of case numbers as many
people with diarrhoea aren’t tested for cryptosporidiosis, which requires a
stool test at the doctor.

Symptoms
include lots of diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and sometimes vomiting or fever.
There is no specific treatment for the condition and symptoms may last a few
weeks.

The
Public Health Act was recently amended to expand the maintenance requirements
for swimming pools to include splash parks and interactive fountains to help
reduce the risk of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks.

For
further information, see the NSW Health cryptosporidiosis factsheet.